The Magpies

​​Shortlisted in the 2024 UK Festival Awards. "I'd say it rivals Cambridge Folk Festival, albeit on a smaller scale, in terms of the diversity of the acts, the ambition of the programming, and the wide definition of folk it encompasses" Left Lion Magazine 2024 ​ Experience the joy and excitement of live music, and let yourself be swept away in a place where everyone belongs. The 18th Gate To Southwell Festival takes place from 3rd to 6th July 2025, again in the beautiful lakeside setting where we've been since 2021, 4 miles from the market town of Southwell, in rural Nottinghamshire. We've had glowing reviews, including from RNR Magazine on the 2024 festival, "...how brilliant is that? What a great festival!" and previously "excellent cast list...too many good performances to mention. It has become a great favourite, if you haven't been already, try it" ​​​ We're a not-for-profit organisation run by enthusiastic and experienced volunteers who love staging what 2023 festival-goers described as "quite possibly the best small folk and roots festival in the UK"! Any surplus income we generate is ploughed straight back into future events.​ ​